End Of The Search
by EmberFalcon
Summary: sorry I messed up last time. This computer's 14 years old...anyway...Carmelita is ready to come back to Sly, but she'll need a little help From Artemis. Can they find him before Christmas? R & R!
1. Chapter 1

Did ya miss me? I'm baaaaaaack! Here's the promised sequel! Hope ya like! r&r peoples!

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Sly/other characters except Artemis. That's supposed to be me, only my real name is Ashley.

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Monaco. 1:49 a.m.

She stood on the beach, admiring the beautiful dark sea. Her thoughts were on the love of her life, back in Paris. She closed her eyes, reaching up and grasping a tiny oval locket in her hand. A smile graced her face, and that only happened nowadays if she were thinking about her love...Sly Cooper...

"Sly...where are you?" She whispered to the breezy waters beyond. She could remember the feel of his lips on hers...the warmth and comfort of his embrace...his smile...

That smile. So cute.

Now, for almost a year, she had been waging a war upon herself. What mattered more to her...Justice of the Law...or...

Justice of her Heart?

She had realized she needed Sly more than any Law or police badge in the world. She had to get back to Paris...but...

Where was Sly in Paris?

That was a veeeeeeeeeeery good queston...as...well...

She had absolutely no idea.

She turned, making her way to her red convertible. As she revved up the engine, her thoughts remained with Sly...as well as her heart. While on the 2 hour ride back to Paris, she heard her favorite song: Maroon 5's She will be loved. She smiled, thinking that would be something that Sly would definetly sing to her if she were sad...wait a minute...

Christmas is in a week!

She smiled warmly. She came up with the most brilliant idea she had ever thought. She would find Sly's hideout, and show up on Christmas eve! She'll wear her blue dress with the strings...but...

Where was Sly's hideout?

Then...it hit her: Artemis would know. (He he he...that's me!) Artemis was her best friend, Sly's as well. They were like brother and sister. She would know where his hideout is! Her smile widened even more. Now she could find Sly...she knew he was the only one for her...

"Carmelita Montoya Cooper...hmm...has a nice ring to it..." Carmelita thought aloud as her convertible sped off onto the highway. The thought of her marrying Sly was almost enough to make her faint...and if she weren't driving...

She probably would.

She started enjoying herself, singing along with Maroon 5 out loud.

_I don't mind spending everyday_

_Out on your corner in the pouring rain._

Carmelita stopped singing for a moment, thinking

'You know, Sly_would_ do that for me...he really would.'

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Well, I had something else in mind for the chapter, but I thought about it, and this seemed right. Hope this was fun, read and review!


	2. Chapter 2

Okay, so you know about my counterpart, but how will Sly react in the next two chappie? This chappie is telling about how Sly's day went the same day Carmelita was at the beach/ my crib, k? Don't expect Carmelita to pop up anywhere.

Carmelita: Hey! I'm telling!

Sly: FINALLY! I'm in the sequel!

oooooooooooooooooooookay. Enough of the awkwardness...into the wierdness!

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_"Promise you won't forget me...promise me." He doubled her choker around his wrist, and, looking her dead in the eye, said only one word_

_"Promise." He then reached into his pocket and pulled out a beautiful gold chain. On the chain was an even more beautiful gold locket, on its center was a tiny star shapped diamond. He put it around her neck, closing the clasp. Before he got the chance to close it, She just...vanished...the locket fell to the floor and shattered..._

And then he woke up.

Sly Cooper had been doing this for a while...it's been...oh say...about a year. Every morning...and sometimes in the middle of the night...he'd wake up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat, dreaming something had happened to his love. He turned his head and looked at the alarm clock...

3: 48 A.M.?

He moaned, flopping back on the couch. He would have gladly gone back to sleep, except for two things: a) he'd most likely have another nightmare about his only EVER love getting hurt/vanishing/leaving him/ well, you get the idea, and b) because when you wake up from a dream/ nightmare, it's a liiiiiiiiiittle hard to go back to sleep. Trust me...I'd know.

Sly swung his legs over and stood up, walking over to the window in the living room (He'd fallen asleep downstairs on the couch.). He pulled the black curtains back, gazing at the stars. That reminds me: That's another thing he's done a lot in the past year. He sighed both inward and out. No wonder Bentley and Murray were worried, I mean...look at the guy!...oh...wait...you can't, can you? My bad! Here's what's changed in his posture and, well, just himself.

"He really just isn't the same." That's how Murray would put it. He's not the brightest crayon in the box, give him a break! Bentley on the other hand would tell you this:

"I don't know what happened a year ago, but whatever happened, it wasn't all that good. Up until about...four months ago, he would just dream a wierd dream that he would never talk about...but in these past four months, it's esciladed from there. There's no hope in his eyes...like...he's missing something. But what it is I just can't put my finger on it. He'll laugh and joke around with us and have a good time, sure, but if I get up in the middle of the night for something, I can hear him either crying in his sleep, or mumbling something about someone coming back. I'm really worried...what made him like this?"

And that much was true. Sly wouldn't tell anyone what happened a year ago. If Bentley or Murray tried to ask him, he'd be on the verge of tears. Anyway, he stared out at the stars, trying to find something...anything...to get her out of his mind even for a second. It was no use. His head drooped to the floor, his thoughts focusing on a certain alluring vixen. He weakly brought his head back up and resumed stargazing.

"When will you be back, mi querera?" Sly said in a soft, weak voice. He made his way to the bathroom, splashing cold water on his face, trying to get it together. He looked up into the mirror. A broken man with little hope stared back at him with tearstained eyes. He continued to splash cold water on his face. After about a minute of this he looked back at the mirror. Still broken. Not much hope. At least he don't have teary eyes.

He stared at his reflection, lost in thought completely. His mind was at war...'hey, I bet this is how she feels sometimes with me' Sly thought, but there was another voice...deeper, more aged...wiser...coming into his head.

I miss her so much.

_Think about her._

What? Who are you?

_Sly...I am your father._

No your not.

_heh. You right. I'm your consience._

I have a consience?

_yep. And I'm telling you. You love her. More than you could know._

Oh really?

_really really._

You know what?...I hate it when you're right sometimes.

_what will you say when she comes back?_

...well...I...don't really...know.

_Not surprising. You need to start to think about these things, boy! Are you just going to stand there when she comes back and look like a retard? Then she'll wonder if she's standing in front of the actual Sly Cooper!_

Well, I can't just say 'I love you.' right when she walks up to me!

_hey, you're the ladies' man here. I just showed up 'cause this will be very interesting. And who knows? She may be back sooner than you think._

What's that supposed to mean...?...oh...wait. You're telling me to just be prepared for when she comes back. I won't know when until I see her, right?

_I knew you had a brain in there somewhere. I suggest you use it when it comes to your love. You don't know where she is, you don't know what she's thinking...if she even loves you anymore. You just need to keep your cool. And whatever happens, means there's something better coming down that path...whichever path that will be. The possibilities are endless! Remember that. Wake me up when she gets here, that will be a good show!_

And with that, the voice was gone. Sly looked back up to the mirror just out of curiosity and saw a different reflection. He was standing a little taller, the hope had returned ever stronger. His eyes were brighter than they had been in a year, and this was something he hadn't done in a great while...

He was smiling.

Sly made his way back to the couch, flopping on it exactly the way Bentley absolutely hated. He laughed under his breath, imagining the look on Bentley's face if he saw him like this. He shut his eyes and imagined Carmelita, her beauty exactly the way it was a year ago. He smiled his most charming smile at the thought of her lips...her touch...her..._everything_.

"I can't wait until you're back, mi querera. Good night, Carmelita." He said as he fell, for the first time in a year, peacefully asleep.

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Carmelita: My name was only mentioned a few times! Grr...

Sly: I'm in the sequel! I'm in the sequel! I'm in the sequel!

Carmelita: Hey, when am I gonna see Sly? I wanna see him soon!

Relax you cell shaded peoples! And to the rest of you, and Carmelita, Sly and Carmelita will reunite in chappie 5. Sorry for the wait, but, hey, I could have waited to bring Sly in the picture! Read and Review peeps!


	3. Chapter 3

hey again! Now you get to meet my alter ego...Artemis! YAY! I'm ok Oo. Here's chappie 2!

Disclaimer: I know I didn't do this in every chappie in Finding My Love, but I was threatened to be erased from FanFiction, so I don't own Sly Cooper...blah blah blah here's the chappie already!

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Artemis sat ather computer desk, looking up Sly 3: Honor Among Thieves (Oh yeah! That's what I'm talkin' about!) because she had nothing else better to do at 5:02 a.m. anyway.

"...WHAT? Bentley's in a wheelchair...Carmelita's a playable character...3D? Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaay!...what in the...?" She became terrified when she heard a knock on her door...she had seen the news, and the reporter said that there was a dude running around town beating on chick's front door and murdering them. She thought it was all bogus...but at 5 a.m. you doubt nothing...or well..._she_ didn't anyway.

She grabbed the biggest and heaviest thing nearest her, which happened to be an umbrella, and made her way towards the front door...she opened it slowly...

"Oh! Carm! Nice to see you this late!...erm...early! What's up?" Artemis immediatley hid the umbrella from Carmelita, putting it in the corner behind the door. Carmelita smiled warmly.

"Heya Art...can I come in?" Artemis smiled brightly.

"Sure! I was just surfing the net...nothin better to do. Come on in!" She side stepped and allowed Carmelita entry...making sure to lock the door after she was in. After Artemis turned off her computer, she joined Carmelita in the living room. They sat on the sofa, but there was a silence for about a minute...Artemis noted how Carmelita wasn't herself...like something was wrong...

"Art...I need your help..." Artemis nodded.

"Shoot." Carmelita took a deep breath, trying to find the right words to say.

"...you go to Sly's for Christmas...right...?"

"Every year. Why?...Ooooooh!" Artemis smiled when she saw the hopeful expression on Carmelita's face.

"I...want to see him again...I promised..." Carmelita began to get teary eyed. Artemis put a comforting hand on her shoulder, signaling that she needn't go on any further.

"I get ya. You wanna go back to Sly because you love him and your ready to return? Did I cover it all?" Carmelita's eyes widened.

"How did ya know?" Artemis rolled her eyes.

"DUH! This is my FanFic after all!" Carmelita blushed.

"Oops forgot!" They laughed, but Carmelita got serious again.

"...will...you help...me?' Artmeis laughed again.

"Of course I will! You're, like, my friend...and...like...yeah!" Carmelita smiled brightly.

"Art! Thank you so much!" She said as she hugged Artemis tightly...a little...too tightly.

"Uhh...Carm...can't...breath...help-!" Artemis's face started to turn a bright red. Carmelita laughed, letting her go, laughing harder as Artemis gasped for air.

"So, you want to spend the night, I take it?" Carmelita developed a puzzled look.

"Sounds like fun...but Christmas is in a week." Artemis stared at her like she was Supergirl just waking up from a crashed rocket.

"...And...where have you been...? Christmas is...like..._tomorrow._" Carmelita stared back...it...was...

TOMORROW?

"Oops! Thanks for the tip!...umm...it...IS okay if I stayed the night...right?" Artemis laughed.

"If it wasn't, I don't think I would have offered." Carmelita laughed with her.

"Okay. I'll stay. I have my dress in the car."

"Oh! Oh! Oh! The black one?" Carmelita shook her head.

"Nope. Two more guesses." Artemis thought about it...Carmelita didn't have to many dresses...

"The dark blue one with the strings that go around the neck...?" Carmelita smiled jokingly.

"Ding!Ding!Ding! We have a winner folks!" They laughed again.

"'K. I'll grab two sleeping bags, you gonna sleep in those clothes?" Carmleita nodded. Artemis grinned, putting her long brown hair behind her ears. Artemis was about 5'4, and a little chubby, but she was still pretty, according to her friends.

"You're hanging around me too much." And with that, Artemis walked upstairs thinking 'Wow. She really _does_ love him.' While Artemis was upstairs, Carmelita walked over to a few photos hanging on the wall. One was of Artemis and herself at the beach with a group of friends, just hanging out...one was of Bentley grinning an extremely nerdy grin while he was sitting by his computer...one of Murray in a tutu (Don't ask, okay? That was a HORRIBLE sight.) dancing on a stage...one of Sly in his tuxedo dancing with Carmelita at Rajan's party two years ago...

"Sly..." She reached over and gently touched his face in the picture, her fingers running down his lean figure. She smiled a little, a single tear falling down her face.

"When will we be dancing together again?" She asked the picture, knowing perfectly well that she'd get no response...

"You really miss him don't you?" Artemis stood at the foot of the stairs, clutching two sleeping bags with a look of sympathy on her face. Carmelita simply nodded, wiping her tear away.

"Hey, don't worry about it! You'll see him tomorrow!" Artemis said as she rolled out the sleeping bags. She paused and looked up at Carmelita...noting how she seemed distant...as if her mind was in an entirely different place. She was staring out the window, gazing at the stars.

"Carm...you okay...?" Carmelita snapped out of her thoughts.

"Come on...what is it?" Carmelita sighed. Artemis was just persistant like that.

"What if he doesn't love me anymore?" Artemis smiled reassuringly.

"Don't worry, Carm. He does." She wiggled into one of the sleeping bags.

"Well, the sugar I had earlier is wearing off, so I'm just going to go to bed before a sugar crash kicks in. Stay up as long as you like." She was asleep within two seconds. Carmelita slid into the other sleeping bag beside Artemis, placing her head on the pillow. Her eyelids began to feel heavy, and looking back at the picture of Sly and herself, she smiled once more.

"Don't worry, Sly..." She vowed as her eyelids began to slowly fall.

"I'll be there tomorrow." She fell sound asleep.


	4. Chapter 4

Tide of Terror 

It was a day to remember. Mayor Dan was just cutting the ribbon to Springfield Dam, the new adjustment to Lansing, Illinois what was supposed to be forever. At the time, Ashley and Stacy were in a _very, very_ boring ninth period reading along with all our fellow classmates. There goes Mr. Diebel again. Mr. Diebel is our Social Studies and Reading teacher, but for me, he's my homebase teacher, too. Anyway, Mr. Diebel was blabbing on and on about Pompeii and it's destruction, it's hurl down into the dark depths of the Earth. And then, all of a sudden, we started to hear and feel a very disturbing shake. Springfield Dam just happened to be across the street from our school…and it was cracking! Immediately, Mr. Diebel and all the other teachers evacuated the entire school, but that wasn't enough. Just as the last student ran out of the school, Springfield Dam completely collapsed. Nobody was safe until they left Lansing. Stacy and Ashley started running and didn't stop. The first thing we did was try to find Mr. Diebel, we knew a dude his age would undoubtedly help us get out of this mess. As soon as we found him running as if he were trying to make the Olympic Games, we high-tailed it. Mr. Diebel figured if we manage to get over to the water station…or the sewer, we could slow the current down and stop the undertoes. When we got there, the first thing we did was look for the main valve. "You know, we should get a bottle of this water and make it a perfume, I'll call it- _Le Sewer._ What do you think?" Stacy said curiously. "I think we should **RUN!**" Ashley said. Mr. Diebel had to agree. We found the main valve, as soon as Mr. Diebel shut it off, we looked to see if anything had changed during the process. Unfortunately, the only thing we saw was destruction. So, we did what was probably the smartest thing in the world…run! There was _NO_ way things could get _any_ worse…at least, we _THOUGHT_ so. As we were running, Stacy suddenly snapped her leg! I think we were both glad Mr. Diebel was here, because he was the only one strong enough to carry Stacy. We got to the edge of Lansing, and we were exhausted! But we agreed to make a new dam. We worked and worked, until it was done…and not a moment too soon. The flood was coming! We all took cover as it smashed against the wall. As hard as the water pushed, it didn't break the wall. So, the water started to loose it's depth. It's been about a month now, and things have never been better. So, last week Mr. Diebel assigned this paper called "Natural Disasters" right? Well, Stacy and Ashley both did the paper on…you guessed it…the Lansing Flood. We had just got the paper back last Friday, and we both got an A! Figures, doesn't it?


	5. Chapter 5

You know something? I am on the verge of destroying my computer! Why? Okay, I put up chapters 2 & 3 on the same day. What happens? Chapter 3 is now chapter 2 and chapter 2 is now chapter 3, so if you want to see Sly's POV, you'll have to see chapter 2! Grr…DESTROY THE COMPY!

Carmelita: NO! Then how will you writ your FanFics?

Me: Grr…alright computer, your life is spared…but you just wait until I get a new one…well here's chappie 4…and computer…you BETTER hope this works right!

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Christmas Eve 9:27 a.m.

(Carmelita's POV)

Artemis woke me up at about 9:30 in the morning, but what surprised me was that she had already changed into a beautiful red full-length dress with cap sleeves. On the top of the dress, for her torso, was covered in rhinestone swirls. There was a line of swirls that ended the torso and started the skirt, which flowed freely from her body. I smiled in approval.

"Who're you trying to impress?" I laughed as Artemis allowed her face to turn a pale red. I hardly heard her whisper her crush's name she was so flustered.

"Nick." (As a side note, yes, this guy is real, so don't think I'm going around crushing on video game characters peoples!) I left to go out to my car, inserting the key into my trunk and opening it to reveal a beautiful dark blue dress. It had no sleeves, but there were strings that tied behind my neck to hold the dress up. As I made my way towards the door again, I secretly wondered if Sly would think I was beautiful in this dress.

"Can I use your bathroom to change?" Artemis nodded while she was brushing her hair. I quickly changed in the small bathroom and came out; Artemis complemented me on my dress.

"You're trying to impress…Murray?" I laughed and shook my head.

"…Bentley?" I laughed even harder and shook my head again. Artemis acted like she was thinking really hard on this like it was an algebra question.

"…Oh wait, wait…it's…" I leaned my head in slightly, wondering when she'd guess it right. Yeah, she's a little slow like that.

(Me: IT'S TRUE!)

"…Ohhh! It's the mailman! I got it right, didn't I?" I held my stomach I was laughing so hard. Artemis just has that ability to make people laugh.

"Only kidding. It's Sly. I know it is." I nodded my head as we left her house. We walked, for the most part, in silence, admiring Paris's beauty in the wintertime. The snow gave it that extra romantic touch…perfect for seeing Sly again.

(Sly's POV)

I woke up to the smell of burning cookies and cursing like no tomorrow. I walked in and hit the floor laughing. Poor Murray decided that he would try his hand at cooking the Christmas cookies this year…and burned them. Bentley tried helping, I guess, with a new invention- a laser gun…resulting in the ever-popular exploding cookies.

"You guys alright? I thought it was Armageddon there for a second!" I guess they were surprised by the sudden change in my behavior, or something.

"Murray, the next time I attempt to bake cookies…slap me." Murray and I laughed harder than we had in a while. I then made Bentley fume, which isn't anything out of the ordinary, but still, it's a major accomplishment to do that on Christmas.

"Aww, don't worry about it, guys…Art can actually _make _cookies instead of burning them. She's had to save us from your weird inventions before…" Bentley just went off like no tomorrow, which resulted in Murray and I laughing until our stomachs hurt.

"My inventions aren't THAT bad!"

"No, it's just when you bake cookies that worries me." We all looked to the doorway of the kitchen at the new voice. I grinned broadly when I saw Artemis standing there, clearly amused with Bentley's attempt at making chocolate chip cookies.

"Art! What's with the dress? You never dress up!" Murray said as he enveloped her into a hug. Bentley laughed like a girl when Art's face turned pale.

"Mur…can't…breath…let…go…pleeeeeeeease?" She begged in gasps. Murray let her go, gently putting her back on the floor. Art walked over and waved her hand, instantly making all the brunt cookies that had exploded in the kitchen disappear (Yeah, I have magical powers in this story).

"So, Art, no friends this year? I thought you were going to bring Nick to the ball with you tonight." I asked, moving up beside her, playfully shoving her a little. She had this big grin on her face…like she was hiding something…

"Art," I said, playfully acting like I was her guardian…and, well, in a sense Bentley, Murray, and I were. We all always hung out together.

"What did you do?" She laughed.

"Nick's coming. He said he'd be here in a little while…and… I brought a new friend…I think you know her." At this, my hopes instantly shot up sky high for a second, but then came to reality. No way was she talking about Carmelita…must be Andrea or Michelle or something.

"She said she'd be here in about-" But she didn't get to finish her thought because the doorbell rang.

"Oh! That must be her! Sly, could you get the door? This is your guys' house, you know." I nodded and left, heading towards the door, my hopes shooting up again, my heart thundering in my chest…was it her? Could it be Carmelita?

"Is it you, mi querera?" I asked softly, so no one else could hear me. I walked over and grasped the doorknob, which seemed to have an electric feel now, my heartbeat over powering any sound that could have been made at that instant…

(Carmelita's POV)

Art had told me to wait until I heard her say, "She said she'd be here in about-" until I should knock on the door. I heard Bentley curse rather loudly as Artemis slid into the door. Then I heard Murray laughing…followed by Sly laughing. There's something about his laugh that I find rather attractive…then I heard Artemis start to talk.

"No, it's just when you bake cookies that worries me." I listened to the conversation as it went on, then I heard Sly say,

"So, Art, no friends this year? I thought you were bringing Nick to the ball with you tonight." Wait…

Artemis didn't tell me about a ball!

"Nick's coming. He said he'd be here. And I brought another friend…I think you know her." My heart thundered in my chest. This was it. She was going to say it any minute now…

"She said she'd be here in about-" I knocked on the door. I pressed an ear to the door, hearing Artemis say,

"Oh! That must be her! Sly, can you get the door? This is your guys' house, after all." Then, I heard footsteps…closer…closer…this was it! I could hardly wait. The door began to slowly open…

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BWAHAHAHAHA! I make you wait until next chapter!

Carmelita: Aww, come on!

Me: Would you rather it be in chapter 7?

Sly & Carmelita: NOOOOO!

Me: Didn't think so. Hey, what happened to Lt. Cooper? Has he read this yet, or is he not interested? Ah well. Read and review!

P.S.- To Kaiser Scott: If you're reading this, then let me be one of the many to say this: Why don't you sit down, shut the fuck up and go fuck a Barbie doll, 'cause that's most likely the closest thing you got to a girlfriend. And if you like talking shit about my stories, you have no right to do that given your stories are worse than mine!


	6. Chapter 6

I just re-read all the chapters, and I realized what was wrong about chapter 4…that WASN'T the file that I made. The thingy you read in chappie 4 was a project that I did THREE YEARS AGO. My computer's dying. I've been saving up for a laptop…but I'm nowhere close. I apologize for all the weird chapters and such…the only reason the last chapter worked well was because I did it on a NEW computer my gram has at her house. Here's chapter 6. And, I promise you guys, Sly and Carmelita WILL kiss in this chappie. The only thing I'm sad about…wait…did I mention the exploding cookies thing with Bentley? If I didn't, I'll change it. R & R!

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The van pulled into the alley leading to the hideout at about 1 a.m. Carmelita was still asleep in Sly's arms when Murray killed the engine. Everyone else piled out, Sly said he'd be a minute. Carefully, without waking Carmelita up, he took off his jacket and put it around her, serving as a makeshift blanket until they got inside. The van had to be parked so far away from the hideout in an alcove, so Sly began to carefully walk towards the door, which was hidden pretty darn well in their opinion. Sly couldn't help but stare down at the lovely vixen in his arms. He leaned down and softly kissed her cheek. He lifted his head and saw that her cheeks were a soft pink. Whether it was from the cold or she was blushing from his kiss, he wasn't sure.

He bumped the door with his body, quickly making a gesture to Nick and Artemis to either get a room or stay quiet. And what did they do?

Just to piss Bentley off, they went in his room.

Sly opened his bedroom door the same way he did the front door, walking over to his bed. He took his jacket off her as he placed her on his bed, putting a soft blanket over her up to her neck. He couldn't restrain himself from letting his fingers run through her dark raven hair, she was just too beautiful. Apparently, that startled her, as she twitched and woke up. She looked over at him, and seemed to relax at once.

"Sly…" She said, reaching out to touch his face, as if to make sure he were real. He smiled at her touch, thinking of how the heck he was going to tell her he loved her.

"Good to see you're awake, Sleeping Beauty." He said teasingly to her. She laughed, a soft blush gracing her face.

"…I can't be Sleeping Beauty." Sly frowned for a moment, not sure what she meant.

"What'd you mean? You **are** beautiful, after all." She blushed…he'd walked into another one of her traps. She leaned in, pulling him closer by the collar of his shirt. She softly whispered,

"Sleeping Beauty woke up from a kiss…" They leaned in more…more…

"Hey guys, we're playing Truth or Dare, Bentley says to quit flirting for once and come down here." Artemis said, peeking in, then leaving back down the stairs. They looked at each other, wondering what kind of evil Bentley, Murray, and Artemis would unleash upon them.

"Well, we'd better go down there…" Carmelita said reluctantly, cursing all four of them downstairs for always interrupting a really romantic moment. Sly nodded, taking her hand and leading her downstairs. They both sat together on the couch; Bentley (who still smelled like fruit punch) sat on the chair, Murray, Artemis, and Nick sitting on the bigger couch. Bentley grinned.

"Alright, since I came up with the idea, I'll go first." He turned to Murray.

"Murray, Truth or Dare?" Murray thought a moment…

"Truth." He said confidently, thinking nothing embarrassing could happen to him…

"Is it true that you think Art looks hot in that dress?" Artemis slowly edged away from Murray, trading spots with Nick.

"…So?" He said…after all, he had to tell the truth.

"Okay, my turn! Nick, Truth or Dare?"

"Truth." Nobody was picking Dare…Sly figured this had to change on his turn…

"Do you really love Art?" Nick blushed; Art looked at him hopefully…

"Yeah." Art threw her arms around him, making him smile broadly.

"Carmelita, Truth or Dare?" She gulped.

"Truth…?" She said extremely reluctantly…

"Is it true you think Sly's sexy lookin'?" She blushed furiously…as did Sly.

"…Yeah." She turned back to normal again.

"Art, Truth or Dare?" She grinned broadly.

"Dare." Carmelita rubbed her hands together, an evil smile on her face.

"I dare you to kiss Bentley on the mouth." Art's eyes grew wider than Murray's waistline…now _that's _saying something.

"CARM! Noooooooooooooooooooooooo! How could you!" Artemis whined. Bentley grinned, seeing as how he'd get his first ever kiss (God, he's a nerd).

Artemis pouted, crossing her arms.

"Chicken." She mumbled. She NEVER did chicken, but desperate times call for desperate measures. She smiled wickedly.

"Bentley…Truth…or Dare?" She said in an evil voice. Bentley cocked a huge grin.

"Double Dare." He said in his biggest heroic voice he could summon.

"Ohhh…you'll regret that one! I double dare you to spin this empty soda bottle and whoever it lands on…boy OR girl, you have to kiss them on the LIPS!" Bentley's heroic posture diminished…this was the worst thing that ever happened to him…

"Fine." He mumbled, spinning the bottle…

Sly…

Carmelita…

Bentley…

Murray…

Nick…

Artemis…

Sly…………..

Carmelita……………………..

Bentley……………………………………..

Murray.

Bentley's eyes were wider than his glasses' frames. This couldn't be right…'Oh God…'

He did it.

Right after it, he ran to the nearest bathroom. Nobody saw him for about two minutes. He came out looking pale…like he had just thrown up. He most likely did.

"You…will…regret…that…" He said in between gasps. He turned to Sly.

"Sly…Truth…or…Dare…?" He thought about it. If he picked Dare, they'd most likely make him do something with Carmelita (Minds out of the gutter, people : P)…on the other hand, if he picked Truth, they'd ask him something that he's kept secret about Carmelita…

"I can't believe I'm doing this…Double Dare." (And so his fate was sealed…BWAHAHAHA!) Bentley tried to do an evil BWAHAHAHA laugh, but from a mixture of his last dare and his asthma, it ended up sounding like he was throwing up in a coffee jar.

"I dare you to take Carmelita in the living room and do One HOUR in Heaven with her!" Sly and Carmelita's eyes grew wide.

"BENTLEY! I CAN'T DO THAT!" Bentley smiled.

"You should have thought about that _before_ you decided to pick Double Dare." Sly mumbled under his breath as he and Carmelita walked up the steps in shock and disbelief.

"Since it's going to be a while, wanna watch a movie or something?" Nick offered. Everyone agreed, going in the room where the Tivo was (not creative enough to pick a name for the room). Upstairs, Sly and Carmelita simply sat together on the couch, both uncomfortable with this. Seven minutes…okay. ONE HOUR? Sayonara. Sorry. Nuh-uh. Nada. Ain't happening.

"Sly…I can't." Carmelita said with tears in her eyes. He put his arms around her and held her.

"Don't worry. I'm not going to do anything you aren't comfortable with. And if you don't want to do anything, I can deal with that…_trust me_…I can." She laughed softly under her breath, realizing he truly was a gentleman who cared about what she was really thinking and feeling. But she still needed to know…

"…Do you love me?" The question startled Sly. He hadn't expecting that so suddenly…

"HUH?"

"Do you love me? I've been wanting to know…" He gazed into her eyes and found peace and serenity. He had loved her all along, and nothing would ever change that.

"Yes…I love you…but if you don't feel the same way anymore, I understand." She searched in his eyes…he was telling the truth…he didn't even need to second guess his love for her, and that was what she had been hoping…that nothing had changed.

"…Kiss me." Sly's eyes grew wide…

"…wh-?" She put her fingers to his mouth.

"Shh…" They leaned in…there was nothing that could break them apart…not a year of isolation…not all the evil in the world. As one, they slowly leaned in more and more…until their lips touched in what they instantly realized was a kiss.

Sly felt his heart leap into his throat…he found it hard to breathe…his mind was warning him he should stop and try to catch his breath, but his body…and his heart…rebelled that notion in every way. Sly quickly found it easier to breathe now. He put his hand behind her neck…silently telling her all the things that were going through his mind without even uttering a word. Carmelita rested one hand on his chest, the other finding its way around his back. Sly's free hand, the one that wasn't holding her head, was wrapped around the small of her back, drawing her closer to him. He felt her push back slightly, so he broke off the kiss. His eyes opened to greet hers…only there was a mischievous glint in hers. She took his hand and pulled him out into the hall, him following her with no objection.

(Meanwhile, downstairs…)

"Dude, I already told you, I'M STRAIGHT FOR CRYING OUT LOUD! LOSE THIS NUMBER!" Bentley screamed as he slammed the phone on its hook. He turned towards everyone else, who were holding back every urge to laugh. They all laughed harder than they had in a while. Bentley fumed…again. He had been doing that an awful lot this Christmas. He grinned, thinking of doing something evil and sinister…again.

"Artemis, I'll be back." She narrowed her eyes in suspicion.

"Where ya going?" She figured he'd try and bother Sly and Carmelita right in the middle of their planned make-out session. Artemis knew they weren't doing this because of the dare…but because they love each other, and none of them had any right to walk in when they were most likely just talking and kissing, but NOT making out.

"I'm gonna see if they're really doing it!" Artemis held him back.

"It's not right. You know it isn't. They love each other and you need to respect that. Chances are they aren't making out…just kissing or something else romantic. You gotta learn you don't need to know all the facts. Okay, so you don't know what they're doing. Get used to it, alright?" Bentley stood there in absolute awe. Artemis NEVER talked to any of them like that before…and she did have a point…

"You're right, Art. I'm sorry…" He felt guilty all of a sudden, thinking he could just barge into a romantic scene and ask how horny they were.

"Hey, you meant well…I think…"

(Back upstairs…)

Sly's mind was on auto pilot. He did nothing to object as Carmelita opened a random door (which happened to be Sly's room), pulled him in, and shut and locked the door behind them. He brought her into his arms and kissed her passionately. Carmelita turned, slowly falling down onto the bed, lying next to each other. They continued to kiss, never breaking away, never letting each other go. They broke away for an instant, then brought their lips together in two long kisses, but not nearly as long as the first. Sly kissed the side of her neck…softly…delicately. Their eyes met once more, each gazing lovingly at each other.

"Carmelita, I love you." He softly whispered breathlessly…

"I love you, too, Sly." They kissed again, passions igniting within each other's souls with no intention of dying off. Carmelita wrapped her tail around his waist, pressing him closer to herself. She rolled over so that only her torso was on top of his while they continued the kiss. They both knew that no matter what, someway…this would work out. They would get through it together, no matter what anyone said.

(Back downstairs…)

"Got any two's?" Murray asked in a juvenile voice to Bentley.

"Go fish…what the hell?" They heard kissing noises and bumping coming from upstairs…Bentley looked over at Artemis in an "I-told-you-so" kind of way. She simply shrugged.

"It happens. You don't know what they _are_ doing…you're just thinking of what they _could_ be doing…so…" Artemis gave _Bentley_ an "I-told-you-so" kinda look.

"Let's just leave them be and play Texas Hold 'Em!" Everyone cheered at her remark, she, however, knew _exactly_ what Sly and Carmelita were doing…they were telling each other their true feelings without saying a word. 'And that,' Artemis thought as she continued to beat the crap out of everyone at the table. 'is where I'll leave it at.'


	7. Chapter 7

I just re-read all the chapters, and I realized what was wrong about chapter 4…that WASN'T the file that I made. The thingy you read in chappie 4 was a project that I did THREE YEARS AGO. My computer's dying. I've been saving up for a laptop…but I'm nowhere close. I apologize for all the weird chapters and such…the only reason the last chapter worked well was because I did it on a NEW computer my gram has at her house. Here's chapter 6. And, I promise you guys, Sly and Carmelita WILL kiss in this chappie. The only thing I'm sad about…wait…did I mention the exploding cookies thing with Bentley? If I didn't, I'll change it. R & R!

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The van pulled into the alley leading to the hideout at about 1 a.m. Carmelita was still asleep in Sly's arms when Murray killed the engine. Everyone else piled out, Sly said he'd be a minute. Carefully, without waking Carmelita up, he took off his jacket and put it around her, serving as a makeshift blanket until they got inside. The van had to be parked so far away from the hideout in an alcove, so Sly began to carefully walk towards the door, which was hidden pretty darn well in their opinion. Sly couldn't help but stare down at the lovely vixen in his arms. He leaned down and softly kissed her cheek. He lifted his head and saw that her cheeks were a soft pink. Whether it was from the cold or she was blushing from his kiss, he wasn't sure.

He bumped the door with his body, quickly making a gesture to Nick and Artemis to either get a room or stay quiet. And what did they do?

Just to piss Bentley off, they went in his room.

Sly opened his bedroom door the same way he did the front door, walking over to his bed. He took his jacket off her as he placed her on his bed, putting a soft blanket over her up to her neck. He couldn't restrain himself from letting his fingers run through her dark raven hair, she was just too beautiful. Apparently, that startled her, as she twitched and woke up. She looked over at him, and seemed to relax at once.

"Sly…" She said, reaching out to touch his face, as if to make sure he were real. He smiled at her touch, thinking of how the heck he was going to tell her he loved her.

"Good to see you're awake, Sleeping Beauty." He said teasingly to her. She laughed, a soft blush gracing her face.

"…I can't be Sleeping Beauty." Sly frowned for a moment, not sure what she meant.

"What'd you mean? You **are** beautiful, after all." She blushed…he'd walked into another one of her traps. She leaned in, pulling him closer by the collar of his shirt. She softly whispered,

"Sleeping Beauty woke up from a kiss…" They leaned in more…more…

"Hey guys, we're playing Truth or Dare, Bentley says to quit flirting for once and come down here." Art said, peeking in, then leaving back down the stairs. They looked at each other, wondering what kind of evil Bentley, Murray, and Artemis would unleash upon them.

"Well, we'd better go down there…" Carmelita said reluctantly, cursing all four of them downstairs for always interrupting a really romantic moment. Sly nodded, taking her hand and leading her downstairs. They both sat together on the couch; Bentley (who still smelled like fruit punch) sat on the chair, Murray, Artemis, and Nick sitting on the bigger couch. Bentley grinned.

"Alright, since I came up with the idea, I'll go first." He turned to Murray.

"Murray, Truth or Dare?" Murray thought a moment…

"Truth." He said confidently, thinking nothing embarrassing could happen to him…

"Is it true that you think Art looks hot in that dress?" Artemis slowly edged away from Murray, trading spots with Nick.

"…So?" He said…after all, he had to tell the truth.

"Okay, my turn! Nick, Truth or Dare?"

"Truth." Nobody was picking Dare…Sly figured this had to change on his turn…

"Do you really love Art?" Nick blushed; Art looked at him hopefully…

"Yeah." Art threw her arms around him, making him smile broadly.

"Carmelita, Truth or Dare?" She gulped.

"Truth…?" She said extremely reluctantly…

"Is it true you think Sly's sexy lookin'?" She blushed furiously…as did Sly.

"…Yeah." She turned back to normal again.

"Art, Truth or Dare?" She grinned broadly.

"Dare." Carmelita rubbed her hands together, an evil smile on her face.

"I dare you to kiss Bentley on the mouth." Art's eyes grew wider than Murray's waistline…now _that's _saying something.

"CARM! Noooooooooooooooooooooooo! How could you!" Artemis whined. Bentley grinned, seeing as how he'd get his first ever kiss (God, he's a nerd).

Artemis pouted, crossing her arms.

"Chicken." She mumbled. She NEVER did chicken, but desperate times call for desperate measures. She smiled wickedly.

"Bentley…Truth…or Dare?" She said in an evil voice. Bentley cocked a huge grin.

"Double Dare." He said in his biggest heroic voice he could summon.

"Ohhh…you'll regret that one! I double dare you to spin this empty soda bottle and whoever it lands on…boy OR girl, you have to kiss them on the LIPS!" Bentley's heroic posture diminished…this was the worst thing that ever happened to him…

"Fine." He mumbled, spinning the bottle…

Sly…

Carmelita…

Bentley…

Murray…

Nick…

Artemis…

Sly…………..

Carmelita……………………..

Bentley……………………………………..

Murray.

Bentley's eyes were wider than his glasses' frames. This couldn't be right…'Oh God…'

He did it.

Right after it, he ran to the nearest bathroom. Nobody saw him for about two minutes. He came out looking pale…like he had just thrown up. He most likely did.

"You…will…regret…that…" He said in between gasps. He turned to Sly.

"Sly…Truth…or…Dare…?" He thought about it. If he picked Dare, they'd most likely make him do something with Carmelita (Minds out of the gutter, people : P)…on the other hand, if he picked Truth, they'd ask him something that he's kept secret about Carmelita…

"I can't believe I'm doing this…Double Dare." (And so his fate was sealed…BWAHAHAHA!) Bentley tried to do an evil BWAHAHAHA laugh, but from a mixture of his last dare and his asthma, it ended up sounding like he was throwing up in a coffee jar.

"I dare you to take Carmelita in the living room and do One HOUR in Heaven with her!" Sly and Carmelita's eyes grew wide.

"BENTLEY! I CAN'T DO THAT!" Bentley smiled.

"You should have thought about that _before_ you decided to pick Double Dare." Sly mumbled under his breath as he and Carmelita walked up the steps in shock and disbelief.

"Since it's going to be a while, wanna watch a movie or something?" Nick offered. Everyone agreed, going in the room where the Tivo was (not creative enough to pick a name for the room). Upstairs, Sly and Carmelita simply sat together on the couch, both uncomfortable with this. Seven minutes…okay. ONE HOUR? Sayonara. Sorry. Nuh-uh. Nada. Ain't happening.

"Sly…I can't." Carmelita said with tears in her eyes. He put his arms around her and held her.

"Don't worry. I'm not going to do anything you aren't comfortable with. And if you don't want to do anything, I can deal with that…_trust me_…I can." She laughed softly under her breath, realizing he truly was a gentleman who cared about what she was really thinking and feeling. But she still needed to know…

"…Do you love me?" The question startled Sly. He hadn't expecting that so suddenly…

"HUH?"

"Do you love me? I've been wanting to know…" He gazed into her eyes and found peace and serenity. He had loved her all along, and nothing would ever change that.

"Yes…I love you…but if you don't feel the same way anymore, I understand." She searched in his eyes…he was telling the truth…he didn't even need to second guess his love for her, and that was what she had been hoping…that nothing had changed.

"…Kiss me." Sly's eyes grew wide…

"…wh-?" She put her fingers to his mouth.

"Shh…" They leaned in…there was nothing that could break them apart…not a year of isolation…not all the evil in the world. As one, they slowly leaned in more and more…until their lips touched in what they instantly realized was a kiss.

Sly felt his heart leap into his throat…he found it hard to breathe…his mind was warning him he should stop and try to catch his breath, but his body…and his heart…rebelled that notion in every way. Sly quickly found it easier to breathe now. He put his hand behind her neck…silently telling her all the things that were going through his mind without even uttering a word. Carmelita rested one hand on his chest, the other finding its way around his back. Sly's free hand, the one that wasn't holding her head, was wrapped around the small of her back, drawing her closer to him. He felt her push back slightly, so he broke off the kiss. His eyes opened to greet hers…only there was a mischievous glint in hers. She took his hand and pulled him out into the hall, him following her with no objection.

(Meanwhile, downstairs…)

"Dude, I already told you, I'M STRAIGHT FOR CRYING OUT LOUD! LOSE THIS NUMBER!" Bentley screamed as he slammed the phone on its hook. He turned towards everyone else, who were holding back every urge to laugh. They all laughed harder than they had in a while. Bentley fumed…again. He had been doing that an awful lot this Christmas. He grinned, thinking of doing something evil and sinister…again.

"Artemis, I'll be back." She narrowed her eyes in suspicion.

"Where ya going?" She figured he'd try and bother Sly and Carmelita right in the middle of their planned make-out session. Artemis knew they weren't doing this because of the dare…but because they love each other, and none of them had any right to walk in when they were most likely just talking and kissing, but NOT making out.

"I'm gonna see if they're really doing it!" Artemis held him back.

"It's not right. You know it isn't. They love each other and you need to respect that. Chances are they aren't making out…just kissing or something else romantic. You gotta learn you don't need to know all the facts. Okay, so you don't know what they're doing. Get used to it, alright?" Bentley stood there in absolute awe. Artemis NEVER talked to any of them like that before…and she did have a point…

"You're right, Art. I'm sorry…" He felt guilty all of a sudden, thinking he could just barge into a romantic scene and ask how horny they were.

"Hey, you meant well…I think…"

(Back upstairs…)

Sly's mind was on auto pilot. He did nothing to object as Carmelita opened a random door (which happened to be Sly's room), pulled him in, and shut and locked the door behind them. He brought her into his arms and kissed her passionately. Carmelita turned, slowly falling down onto the bed, lying next to each other. They continued to kiss, never breaking away, never letting each other go. They broke away for an instant, then brought their lips together in two long kisses, but not nearly as long as the first. Sly kissed the side of her neck…softly…delicately. Their eyes met once more, each gazing lovingly at each other.

"Carmelita, I love you." He softly whispered breathlessly…

"I love you, too, Sly." They kissed again, passions igniting within each other's souls with no intention of dying off. Carmelita wrapped her tail around his waist, pressing him closer to herself. She rolled over so that only her torso was on top of his while they continued the kiss. They both knew that no matter what, someway…this would work out. They would get through it together, no matter what anyone said.

(Back downstairs…)

"Got any two's?" Murray asked in a juvenile voice to Bentley.

"Go fish…what the hell?" They heard kissing noises and bumping coming from upstairs…Bentley looked over at Artemis in an "I-told-you-so" kind of way. She simply shrugged.

"It happens. You don't know what they _are_ doing…you're just thinking of what they _could_ be doing…so…" Artemis gave _Bentley_ an "I-told-you-so" kinda look.

"Let's just leave them be and play Texas Hold 'Em!" Everyone cheered at her remark, she, however, knew _exactly_ what Sly and Carmelita were doing…they were telling each other their true feelings without saying a word. 'And that,' Artemis thought as she continued to beat the crap out of everyone at the table. 'is where I'll leave it at.'


	8. Chapter 8

**Finally!** My computer isn't giving me grief for once! I hope everyone liked the last chappie. Ya see, what I'm doing is, I know the last two chappies weren't exactly linked, but what I'm doing is this: just like in movies, when Sly began to open the door in chappie 5, I fast forwarded to later on that night. However, We'll see a flashback of what went on before chappie 6. After that, you'll see what Sly and Carmelita are doing the next morning. I actually _wanted_ to confuse you peoples this time!

Artemis: Yawn. Onto the next chappie!

Sly: I agree. Enough meaningless talk! Let's go with the chappie!

Me: Hits Sly and Artemis over the head Nobody asked you! Sly, will you do the Disclaimer?

Carmelita: You didn't do it in the other chappies!

Artemis: Yeah, and she got in trouble for it.

Me: Hits Artemis again SLY JUST DO THE DISCLAIMER!

Sly: Alright, alright… sigh Disclaimer: Ashley doesn't own Me/ other related characters…if she did…Sucker Punch would be screwed.

Me: Hits Sly again Here's the chappie!

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Sly awoke the next morning at about 6 a.m. At first, he was a little too sleepy to remember what went on before he went to sleep, but then it all clicked into his head in about a half a second. He gazed at Carmelita's head, which was resting on his shoulder. He brought one hand up and ran his fingers through her hair once more, inhaling the scent of her hair deeply. He looked at her face again. She looked like an absolute angel, and the way her hair fell over her shoulder and rested on his only made her look more so. She shivered, bringing herself closer to him. He smiled, pulling the blanket closer around her.

"I can't believe it…" He said in a soft whisper. He could believe that he had just made out with his only love just last night. What he couldn't believe was she had only been with him for…about twenty-four hours now. He closed his eyes, reflecting on the previous day…

Sly opened the door all the way…for a second…he thought he was hallucinating…that was…no…couldn't be…

"…Carmelita…?" He said in a low, astonished voice. He thanked God he remembered to change out of his PJ's. He was wearing a white shirt, black suit jacket, and black shoes (I just remembered; he don't wear pants). His hair was left somewhat spiky…no comb could tame his hair without gel. He blinked three times in a row…she was…HERE?

He gazed at her beauty…her smile, the way the snowflakes rested gently on her hair, those amazingly bright brown eyes…his eyes swept her frame…wow…the way she looked in that dress…she was so beautiful.

"…" He would have given the world to tell her how much she meant to him, how much he missed her, how much he…loved her…

"…I…" Carmelita brought her hand up and gently rested it to his lips, hushing him into silence. She seemed to understand exactly what he was trying to say…it was in her eyes…her very touch, which, as a side note, was electrifying in itself to him. She simply said two words,

"Me, too." Without saying a word, he led her inside, dazed…as if he were in a dream.

She's…_here_…

_Ohhh! Break out the popcorn! This is gonna be good!_

Hey! Who invited you into this?

_I invited myself. Remember? I told you to wake me up when she got here…and…well, here I am, and there she is._

Whatever. If I wasn't in such a good mood, I'd be pissed. In fact, I'll just block you out of my mind. HA!

Whatever the heck he did, it worked, because he didn't hear that annoying voice in his head anymore. He and Carmelita walked into the downstairs living room, being greeted by Bentley, Murray, and Artemis. Bentley looked like he was about to faint. Murray looked like he was going to throw up…he had tried one of Bentley's exploded cookies. Artemis had an evil grin on her face.

"Art-! How did you keep this a secret?" Artemis laughed.

"It was easy. I didn't even know until about…2 a.m. this morning, would you say, Carm?" Carmelita laughed and nodded, moving ever so slightly closer to Sly. Artemis turned towards Bentley and Murray.

"Ben, Mur, can you guys help me with something real quick?" Bentley was about to ask what could be so freaking important, but thought better of it when he realized Artemis was basically telling them "Hey, why not get the hell out to give them some room" in the nicest possible way. Murray on the other hand, wasn't exactly the brightest crayon in the box…

"Gee, I don't know, Art. They might start to get a little…OUCH!" Artemis jabbed Murray in the gut, practically dragging him out of the room, Bentley in tow. When they were gone, Sly walked over to Carmelita and took her hand in his, both of them glad to be back together.

"I've missed you so much, Carmelita…I mean, you can ask Bentley…Murray…Artemis. They'll all tell you how I've driven them crazy." Carmelita laughed, then remembered that Artemis had mentioned a ball that they go to every Christmas…

"Artemis has told me a lot about how you guys spend Christmas together…" Sly nodded.

"Yeah. Did she tell you about the dance we go to every year?" She nodded, wondering if he was still the dancing raccoon she remembered from Rajan's lavish ball. She figured she'd better find out _before_ hand…

"Sounds like fun…if only I had a dance partner…" Sly gave her that look that said "_Hello?_" She laughed, figuring his competitive spirit would never fail…

"Sorry, Sly. I'm just picky about who I dance with. You'll have to impress me, and believe you me, that's really hard to do…" She let her words hang there. He didn't hesitate a moment. He bowed down, extending his hand gallantly.

"Perhaps you could be the judge of my skills?" He winked, looking up at her. She smiled, taking her hand, meaning she accepted his proposal. He stood and brought her into his arms, sweeping her across the room, spinning her in the middle. He dipped her once, noting how she fully trusted him to keep her from falling, then swung her swiftly back into his arms. About a minute of this later, he spun her one last time, then ended the dance by dipping her low. She laughed as he brought her back up, into a hug.

"Well done, Sly! Well done! You never cease to impress, do you?" He blushed and laughed with her.

"Eh. I try." They just held each other for about a minute, but then, they began to lean in slowly…Carmelita tilted her head slightly, Sly doing the same in the opposite direction…She closed her eyes…

"Hey guys! Are ya making out yet? Thought you might wanna know that Nick showed up. Just telling you. See ya!" Murray popped his head around the corner, then disappeared behind it again. They both blushed, Sly scratching the back of his neck. Carmelita stared at her feet. They both agreed it'd be polite to say hello, so they walked out hand in hand to see Artemis practically drooling over Nick. (Side note: Yeah, this dude is real. He's not a video game character or anything.) They both laughed, all of them sitting down to just hang out.

After about two hours of laughing, joking, catching up, and the story of Bentley's exploding cookies later, everyone was ready to go to the ball. The girls checked their hair and everything, the guys were mainly concerned about how they smelled and if their breath was okay. Everyone piled into the van. Sly, Carmelita, Nick, and Artemis all got in back. Bentley took passenger's side, and Murray drove. A half an hour later, they arrived. Everyone got out of the van and stared in awe at the place's exterior.

"It's so…_beautiful_!" Carmelita exclaimed as her eyes swept the cathedral like building.

"Yeah…beautiful…" Sly said, but he wasn't looking at the building anymore…

He was looking at Carmelita.

They went in and began to have fun. There was a karaoke (spelling?) contest, which Artemis won, thank you very much. Then came the dancing. The music was jazzy, and they loved it. Sly swept Carmelita into his arms, a grin on his face.

"Did I impress you enough for a dance?" She laughed.

"Ohhh…I guess." She said teasingly as they danced the night away. The music slowed, and Carmelita instantly recognized it as her favorite song…

_Beauty queen of only eighteen she,_

_Had some trouble with herself._

Carmelita smiled. She remembered when she heard it on her car radio when she was coming back to Paris…

_He was always there to help her, she_

_Always belonged to someone else._

She then grew sad, remembering how she felt that whole year she was away from Sly…so cold…so alone…

_I drove for miles and miles, and_

_Wound up at your door._

Carmelita couldn't hold back her tears anymore. She just let them cascade down her face. Sly noticed this, and it worried him.

"Are you alright?" She gulped and nodded…

_I've had you so many times, but_

_Somehow I want more._

"I was just…so alone…" She cried silently. Sly wiped her tears away and brought her closer to himself. She was comforted by his touch and her sadness seemed to melt away when he leaned his head in and in an ever-softer voice sang her the chorus…

_"I don't mind spending everyday,_

_Out on your corner in the pouring rain."_

Carmelita had heard enough to know he truly loved her. Nothing could take that away. She and Sly gazed lovingly at each other, both realizing that they were meant for each other…

_Look for the girl with the broken smile,_

_Ask her if she wants to stay a while._

They both began to lean in…there was nothing that could stop this… nothing that could possibly stop them from kissing…

_And she will be loved,_

_And she will be loved._

They were so close now…Carmelita began to feel her lips tingle with excitement…this was it! They were going to kiss! Right here and now…

Maroon 5 was shut off and the Chicken Dance began to play.

They looked at each other, as if they were both saying, "Nuh-uh. Ain't no way we're making out during the _Chicken Dance_." They laughed and quickly got off the dance floor, seeing Artemis drag Nick off as well. Everyone howled with laughter as Bentley and Murray happily ran up on the dance floor. When it came to the part where you have to shake your butt, catastrophe struck. Bentley, being a turtle, had no butt, and Murray had too much butt, so Bentley ended up in the punch bowl (Remember in the last chapter when it said he still smelled like fruit punch? That's why.) Everyone was holding their stomachs they were laughing so hard. Later, after Bentley slid out of the punch bowl, everyone headed towards the van.

"Murray, you really need to watch what you're doing." Bentley said in an ever-obviously pissed off voice. Murray blushed.

"At least you got that chick's number…"

"No, Murray. That was a dude. It just _looked_ like a chick." Everyone laughed again as they got in the van again. Traffic was bad, so it took about an hour to even hit the road. Carmelita and Sly were in the back with Nick and Artemis again. Nick put his arms around Artemis…

And he kissed her! (Yeah. I _wish,_ people.)

Sly would have put both arms around Carmelita and just held her, but refrained from doing so for two reasons:

a) It'd be like he was copying Nick

and

b) He didn't touch her like that every chance he got. He's not a pervert like that.

Carmelita leaned her head on his shoulder, her hand on his chest. Her eyes began to get heavy, Sly could tell. He felt his arm start to fall asleep as she drifted into a deep, peaceful slumber. He wanted so badly to move his arm a little to get it into a comfortable position, but he didn't. She was fast asleep, and he didn't want to disturb her. Gradually, his shoulder got used to it. He put his arms around her, her face seemed to warm even more at his touch. He smiled, looking around. He had a great life.

He wasn't rich.

He didn't have any ruling power.

And he didn't care.

He was surrounded by faithful friends, who he was just as faithful to. They stuck by his side no matter what. He did the same to them. All of them were there to support each other. And there was one other thing that couldn't have made Sly happier…

He had the love of his life back with him.

"What more could I ask for?" He thought as the van made its way home.

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Well, that's the flashback. I thought of just doing it like a regular story, but then I figured I'd mix it up a little bit. Tee-hee. If you don't like the story so far, then I'm up for suggestions on my writing style. R & R peeps!


	9. Chapter 9

Helloooooooooooooo people! How did ya like that liiiiiiittle twist I threw in there? I know it's a little corny and more like one of those D list romance movies that don't sell for crap, but hey, I can live. This chappie will focus on what happens on Christmas Day. Hope ya like!

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Sly opened his eyes, smiling at the thought of how yesterday went. He looked over at Carmelita's face, so angelic. He tried to resist from kissing her temple, but the temptation was overwhelming. He gently pressed his lips just below her left temple. She twitched slightly, bringing herself closer to him. He kissed her again, only this time ever so softly on her lips. It clicked into her head, and that got her moving. She slowly opened her large brown eyes. She looked at him, yawned a little, smiled and rested her head on his chest again.

"Come on now, Carmelita. Much as I'd like to let you sleep like this, my shoulder kinda fell asleep." He said teasingly, pulling her closer in his arms so that their faces were level. She smiled again.

"Aww, do I have to get up?" She said jokingly like a little kid. They laughed and got up, Sly changing in his room and Carmelita changed in the bathroom. They came downstairs into the kitchen, being greeted by laughter and conversation made by Artemis, Nick, Bentley, and Murray. Artemis was the first to greet them, Bentley, however, looked like he was about to explode with laughter.

"Morning Sly! Morning Carm!" Artemis said brightly. She was dressed in casual low-rise jeans, and a brown cap sleeve T-shirt with baby blue on the end of the bottom, and on the top of the collar and ends of her sleeves. Bentley was wearing a black shirt under his shell (how does he even get it on?) and Murray was wearing a dark blue T-shirt. Nick was wearing Lee jeans and a white tank top.

"Morning Art. Morning guys." Sly said as he sat down in between Nick and Carmelita. Bentley couldn't hold it in anymore.

"What were you guys doing last night?" Bentley said busting up laughing.

"OWWW!" He cried as Artemis drilled her foot into his ankle. He rubbed it gingerly, knowing perfectly well he shouldn't have asked, but it was bugging him. Carmelita and Sly exchanged a look, then silently agreed they should set the record straight with Bentley.

"Look Bentley, we weren't doing anything bad. We did your dare…just…longer than an hour. We lost track of time." Sly said honestly.

"HA! I told you, Bentley! Pay up, Moocher!" Artemis said triumphantly, holding out her hand. Bentley sighed and handed her _fifty_ bucks! Not bad for a night's work, thank you very much. Everyone laughed…except Bentley.

"He could be lying…" He said, trying to get his money back. Artemis shook her head.

"I believe him. It's easy to lose track of time. I mean, would you really put on a timer for how long you can make out before the buzzer rings?" He had to give her that one. He bowed his head, grumbling that now he was fifty bucks short on getting a new laptop.

"Sly, wanna help me make the Christmas cookies?" Artemis asked. He looked kinda surprised.

"What about Bentley's?" Everyone else laughed…except Bentley.

"Oh, ha ha ha very funny." Artemis gave him a look.

"Bah Humbug to you, too, Scrooge." She said. He laughed, admitting that his cookies DID suck. Sly declined her offer, saying he had to get some things out of his room (Minds out of the gutter people : P). He went upstairs and into his room. He walked up to his closet door and opened it, walking inside. He lifted himself by the bar his clothes were hanging from and began to feel around for a loose board. He found the edge of it and lifted it. He brought his hand inside and began to feel around for the wrapped boxes he had stashed inside. He pulled them down one at a time, grinning. Each box held one thing for everyone…even Carmelita.

He had gotten Murray a new boxing set. He got Bentley the laptop he had been wanting for months, for Nick he got him four CDs he liked, for Artemis he snagged two tickets for a Maroon 5 concert (front row)…and for Carmelita…

You'll just have to wait and see for yourself.

He came downstairs with the boxes, instantly sniffing Gingerbread cookie dough. As he entered the kitchen, he laughed at Bentley and Artemis, he was trying to get her to wear an apron and she kept saying she wouldn't be caught dead with an apron on. Sly walked over and tapped Bentley on the shoulder. Bentley, who hadn't expected it, jumped and landed on the ceiling fan. Thank God it wasn't moving, or he would have just thrown up on everyone. He saw who it was and hopped down.

"What was that for?" He demanded, giving Sly a sharp look.

"This." He said simply, handing him a wrapped box with his name on it. Bentley said thank you and began trying to undo the ribbon. Sly then walked over to Murray and handed him the box with his name on it. Murray said thanks and practically ripped the box in half effortlessly. Sly then walked over to Nick and handed him his present, who nodded in thanks and tried to open it. Sly was about to give Artemis her present, which was in an envelope, when they all stopped what they were doing when they heard a commotion…

Crash.

"ARGH!"

Boom.

"WHY YOU-!"

Thud. Bang. Whack. Rip. Smash.

"AHHHHH!"

Everyone looked over at Bentley, who was currently mummified in green ribbon. He had tried to rip it open it with his bare hands, but he's no Murray. So, he ended up like so.

"HELP!…please?" He said weakly. Everyone laughed so hard they were clutching their stomachs. Carmelita, who felt kinda sorry for the little nerd, walked over and helped him out of the ribbons of torture. He looked irritably at everyone else at first, but then joined in the laughing. When everyone calmed down and was done using the bathroom from laughing so hard, Sly handed out everyone's gifts…except Carmelita's. When asked why by Nick, he simply answered, "You'll see." (side note: They're not getting married…_yet_.)

Artemis liked her present so much she fell over backwards in her chair from laughing so hard. Bentley shut himself in his room after he opened his laptop. He wouldn't answer the door for anyone, but everyone could hear him typing like no tomorrow. Murray hugged Sly so tight about the boxing kit he started to turn blue in the face. All Nick did for the next two hours was listen to his CDs on his Walkman. When his face was a normal color, he turned to Carmelita, looking her right in the eyes.

"Don't take this the wrong way. This isn't like a wedding ring, or anything." He said jokingly as they both laughed. He looked her right in the eyes as he pulled out a gold ring with a light blue rhinestone in the middle. He took her **right** hand in his, not her **left**.

"Carmelita, I love you so much. I wanted you to know that. This is a promise ring. I promise you, no matter what happens…no matter what has been said or done…I'll always love you. I'll never be with anyone else…mark my words." He said in a soft voice as he slid the ring onto her finger. Both of them were silent, staring lovingly at each other. They didn't seem to notice that everyone was out now. There was no Walkman playing, no typing, no shrieking. **Everyone **was out in the living room, dead quiet, waiting for Carmelita's response. Nobody, not even Sly, dared to breathe. Carmelita looked down for an instant at the ring, then back up into his eyes, her own beginning to get tearful. In a soft voice, she said,

"I love you, too." Sly pulled her into his arms as they kissed passionately. Neither of them cared that everyone else was watching them, smiling…well…except Murray, who was doing coyote whistles until Artemis and Bentley both jabbed him in the gut. Sly and Carmelita seemed to kiss forever, in a warm, loving embrace. There was nothing…absolutely **nothing** that could have made that Christmas any better.

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So, there you have it. They haven't gotten married, and they didn't do it…just made out for most of the night. There will be a third story, but I won't ruin it for the rest of you…not even if you guys hunt me down…so there. R & R peoples!


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